An Interview with New AWESOME Leader, Alejandra Gomez Hernandez…

I’ve known about the network for a while. In my previous role at Thermo Fisher, we worked closely with Gartner, and we invited AWESOME leaders to speak at some of our sessions.

I was co-leading a BRG chapter specifically dedicated to empowering women in supply chain. Every company has its BRGs, but we formed one just for supply chain, Women Empowering Supply Chain. I co-led that group, sponsored by our VP of Supply Chain.

We invited AWESOME leaders to our sessions, some in person, but mostly virtual. Through our close relationship with Gartner, where I was also a license holder, I learned even more about AWESOME. I really appreciated the power and achievements of the network and the sense of community.

More recently, I attended the Gartner Symposium in Orlando and had the privilege of joining roundtables with amazing women sharing their experiences. I realized I didn’t just want to be near the community, I wanted to be in it. That’s why I decided to officially become part of AWESOME.

I was born and raised in Mexico City. I’m an industrial engineer by training, and I also have an MBA. I’ve worked in supply chain my entire career, across all areas.

I started at Becton Dickinson (BD) in Mexico, where I spent ten years in progressive leadership roles in planning, continuous improvement, strategic planning, and management. I led the distribution center and the customer service areas. Later, I moved to Singapore on an international assignment, where I led Global supply planning from India, China, and Singapore sites. That experience was incredible, professionally and culturally.

After Singapore, I moved to Chicago following BD’s acquisition of CareFusion. I helped to integrate the two companies’ supply chain systems & processes. Then I relocated to BD’s headquarters in New Jersey to lead the end-to-end supply chain for one of our biggest platforms – Hypodermic syringes & needles. When COVID hit, that became critically important. I was leading the vaccination task force for the syringe and needle supply. That was definitely my biggest professional challenge.

In New Jersey, I met my husband, who also worked at BD. He’s also from Mexico. We got married, had our first child, and then — like everyone — had to navigate COVID.
Afterward, BD decided to spin off the diabetes division in which I was working. At the same time, I got a promotion offer at Thermo Fisher to lead a new Center of Excellence for Supply Chain, focused on best practices in technology, people, and processes. It was a huge transformation initiative, and I wanted to drive it. So we moved to San Diego four years ago. And now, I have two boys, a five-year-old and a nine-month-old!

Thank you! Unfortunately, with the recent cost reductions and layoffs at Thermo Fisher, my position, along with many others, was eliminated in April.

Now, I’m actively seeking my next opportunity in transformation leadership, ideally in San Diego or remotely. In every role, I’ve been passionate about developing people, and especially women. That’s something I want to continue in my next role.
In Asia Pacific, I joined a women’s group in BD. At Thermo Fisher, I built a new BRG chapter for women in supply chain. I love mentorship and career coaching. When I see women grow, that’s what lights me up.

For instance, in India, I realized how different the cultural context was. It is a huge challenge for women to step into managerial roles. I had to learn their culture and help them navigate it. When I saw them move forward in their careers, it was incredibly fulfilling.

We can truly make a difference when we support each other. I’ve had amazing female mentors who have helped shape my career, and I want to continue being that person for others.

Absolutely. First, we need to understand the cultural context. We often say, “Women need to do this or that,” but we can’t generalize. Every culture, every life stage is different.

When I was single, my needs were a different matter. Now, as a mother, they’re different. We need to understand and respect each other’s realities. One of my early lessons was: you can’t tell someone to just “speak up” if their culture views that negatively. You have to find the right strategy for the environment you’re in.

Second, you cannot grow your career alone. We need networks, visibility, and sponsorship. No matter how capable you are, you need people who believe in you and create opportunities for you.

Yes. One example is during the COVID-19 vaccine rollout. About a year before COVID, I took on a role in a very toxic environment. There were supply issues and massive backlogs, but the real problem was trust—or lack of it. The commercial, operations, supply chain, and finance teams were all at odds.

My boss told me, “You need to fix the environment first, or nothing else will work.”

So I focused on rebuilding trust, reminding people that we’re all working toward the same goal: serving our customers. I worked to shift the mindset: “It’s not about blaming people, it’s about fixing the process.”

It was also a very male-dominated, old-school environment. As a woman, and a Latina, I had to deal with microaggressions and even overt discrimination, including comments during my first pregnancy. But I stood up for myself and others. Some amazing male leaders supported me, and we built alliances.

After months of effort, things turned around. By the time COVID hit, we were aligned and could move fast. I led the supply of needles and syringes for the Global Vaccination task force of the governments in the U.S. and Canada, coordinating with nine global manufacturing sites and cross-functional teams.

The metrics improved, but more importantly, we had trust. That was the real win. If we hadn’t laid that foundation, it would’ve been a disaster.

Yes, at the latest Gartner Symposium in May in Orlando. It was right after my layoff. I joined an AWESOME panel session with incredible women leaders, and it was so encouraging. One woman said something that stuck with me: “You were built to succeed and overcome.” 

It reminded me that setbacks happen, but we rise. Real-life examples matter. Seeing women who have overcome different obstacles helped me to keep confirming that I could too.

We need to increase our presence, to have a real seat at the table. However, to do that, we must first build confidence. Women are often highly competent and capable, but we don’t always project that required level of presence.

Confidence and presence are key, and I’m working on developing those qualities personally. As you move up, the expectations shift. It’s not enough to be capable you have to be visible. And for that, you need sponsorship and support.

One of my female VPs told me, “You have the strongest supply chain knowledge on my team but you need to believe in yourself more and project that.” That’s something I carry with me. I’m still learning how to keep building my presence in a way that’s true to who I am. I can’t fake being someone else. I’m working with mentors to find an authentic way to lead with confidence.

I won’t lie… there’s no perfect formula. Every day is different. But one great piece of advice I got was: You don’t need to give 100% to everything at the same time. Some days your kids need you more. Other days, work does. And that’s okay. Don’t carry guilt, just shift as needed. I’m a planner, but I’ve learned to be flexible too.

Also, support networks matter… my husband, friends, and church community. We don’t have family nearby, but we lean on our community, and we show up for them, too. That’s how it works.

You’ve got this. You don’t have to do it alone. Find your mentors, and remember, not every mentor has to be a guru. Anyone who teaches you something valuable can be a mentor. You can have one mentor for cooking, another for communication, don’t wait for “the perfect one.”

Additionally, continue to invest in your development. Be courageous. You’ll hear “no” maybe more than once, but keep going. Something better is coming.